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 The Volkswagen
Jetta is a compact car that succeeded the popular VW Beetle and appealed to
drivers who prefer small family sedans with more conventional styles.
Introduced in 1979, the Mark 1 Jetta featured a trunk instead of a hatchback
and was marketed as an upscale alternative to the sturdy Gulf. Today, the
Volkswagen Jetta is a sixth-generation vehicle that's designed to compete with
the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. For Jetta enthusiasts, however, older
versions of the German-engineered automobile are worth restoring, even when the
engine needs rebuilding.
Ball Hones for Engine
Cylinders
For mechanic named Aarchaic at Street
Racing Forums, restoring a 1991 Mark 2 Jetta meant buying a used 2.0L
Volkswagen ADY engine and "making a shopping list" for auto parts such as bearings,
a pulley, and a crank bolt. The South African hobbyist also needed cleaners to
remove oil and grease from the engine block, and a flexible "ball hone" for
restoring all four cylinders. Although Aarchaic didn't mention our Flex-Hone tool
by name, we can tell from the picture (above) that the engine hone he chose is
one of ours. Versatile and easy-to-use, the Flex-Hone mounts in an electric
hand drill and is a favorite of automotive hobbyists whose workshop is their
garage.
Cylinder Hones and
Cylinder Restoration
Built with a stiff metal stem and abrasive nylon filaments,
the Flex-Hone
features abrasive globules for a soft cutting action. With their independent
suspension, these "dingleberries" ensure that our cylinder hone is
self-centering, self-aligning to the bore, and self-compensating for wear. The
crosshatch pattern that the Flex-Hone produces also appeals to engine
builders. Unlike honing stones or other rigid hones, BRM's flexible honing tool
produces a uniform pattern of peaks and valleys for optimum oil retention. If a
crosshatch angle is too steep, piston rings won't seat properly. If a crosshatch angle is too
shallow, engine problems can include increased ring break-in time and extreme
piston ring wear.
Engine Hones and Surface
Finishing
Unlike other engine hones, the Flex-Hone tool is designed for surface finishing - not
material removal. Its low-temperature abrading process exposes the undisturbed
base metal structure to produce a long-wearing surface on engine cylinder
walls. Flex-Hone users may call our brush tool by other names (including ball hone), but
the results speak for themselves. As Aarchaic explained to his fellow Jetta
enthusiasts at Street Racing Forums, "the ball hone did an exceptional job" on
all four cylinders of his rebuilt Volkswagen
engine.
Author's Note: This CR4 Blog Entry originally appeared in BRM's
Flex-Hone Blog.
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